3-24 Creem, Illegals, Radium Girls, Cultivator, Pittsburgh @Kopecs

Kopecs is one of the best places in Pittsburgh for punk shows. The smoke is great. The cheap drinks are great. And on this particular night the vocals and the sound was great too. Everything was pretty much perfect.

Radium Girls - This was my first time seeing this band. They were fast and loud. Maybe like Capitalist Casualties woman singer style. I was thinking, with that name and all, there would be a bunch of chics in this band but it's really just one chic and 3 weirdos. More on the side of metal punx than traditional punx.

Cultivator - I love the singer for this band. He's an old ass dude with some crusty ass dreads and he's very entertaining. They have a more traditional punk style than the rest of the bands who played this night. I always enjoy this band and hopefully will see them again.

Illegals - Probably my favorite band of the night. They remind me of Slumlords from DC, but maybe a little heavier. The singer is so unassuming to look at, like a little weasel prep boy. But the songs are killer and the live set was kiler. A++ for these homos.

Creem - The crowd response to them was great. Some jackass knocked my beer on the ground, fucker. But that's to be expected. They kinda sounded like a faster and heavier Slumlords too. I have no idea why they stopped their set so early. If they were pissed about the microphone situation (it wasn't working consistently), or maybe they didn't like the smoke and the rest of the crowd. Who knows but they played a super short set to the dismay of pretty much everyone there. Bummer.

Hi's - everything, the venue, turnout, the bands
Lows - Short sets by Illegals and Creem, waking up in the morning to snow and work.

2-25 Terror, H2O, Backtrack, Code Orange Kids, Path to Misery, Pittsburgh @Altar Bar

I'm super late on the update here. I've moved and didn't have the internet for a while. I'm back on the map now.

I don't really know why the Altar Bar consistently starts hardcore shows so early. This show started at 6:30. Why not 7? or 8? Showing no respect for people who drive like an hour to get to shows. And it's not like they have a dj for dancing all night after the show, they don't. I just don't get it. Regardless, we missed all of Path to Misery, and almost all of the Code Orange Kids. PtM is good and I always enjoy them, so I was pissed that we missed them. And CoK are good too, different good, but still good, so I was pissed about that too. But I guess that's what happens when you live over an hour away and work until 5 for a 6:30 show.

Path to Misery - Missed them. But Kenny says it was one of their better sets.

Code Orange Kids - Saw two songs. Kids were going off. I used to not particularly like their breed of weird heavy hardcore because it at first didn't seem moshy to me. However, it's been growing on me. Good set, I think people really liked it.

Backtrack - Awesome band. We used to see them all the time when they came through, but it's been a few years. Good songs. Good mosh. Great evergy, especially from the singer. I like his body language when he's on stage.

Terror - GREAT set. I love seeing Terror. Vogel was on point. Some of my friends were upset that Terror didn't play enough old songs. I somewhat disagree. I thought the mix they played was good and sufficient. Though I always like to see Push it Away, and that didn't happen. Who cares, highlight of the night anyway.

H2O - Pittsburgh has never been the type of town to really really give a shit about bands like H2O. After Terror I'd say half of the people left. And only a handful got into it. They played all the songs I like though, Fairweather Friend and 1995 amongst them. Good set. Though the sound guy had the vocals way way way too low for half of the set. Still everything was ok.

HI's - Terror, Backtrack, good company
Low's - Missing two dope bands, lack of energy from crowd for H2O

2-9 Letlive, HRVRD, This is Hell, Rescuer, Pittsburgh @222 Ormsby

This show was supposed to be held at the Smiling Moose. Word is that the local authorities are giving the Smiling Moose shit about zoning issues, so they had to cancel all shows for the meantime. Sucks, because the Smiling Moose is decent. It's ok because 222 Ormsby is decent too. To my dismay, they changed the layout of Ormsby. Now bands play in the corner instead of in the middle of the long wall. It makes optimal viewing area way smaller than it should be. Sucks. But the show went on and Ormsby was good.

Rescuer - From Tampa Florida they were pretty good. Fast and melodic. They remind me of Carpathian and Touche Amore mixed up. I enjoyed the set. Second best band of the night. I'd go see them again.

This is Hell - The band of the night. I'm guessing their newer cd must be more thrash metal, because a few of the songs they played tonight were straight up riffy. They didn't play anything that I knew, but it was still a good show. Well, sounded good, there were only like 6 people in the room who could see good, everyone else was looking at their heads. I'll always be down for some This is Hell. The only time of the night there was any pitting was for them and it was all circle pit.

HRVRD - Hipster rock band with super reverb echo vocals. I didn't enjoy the set. The ladies in the room were lovin it though. I think my girlfriend would really like this band. Me... not so much. They were definitely the softest band on the bill.

Letlive - This band was ok. Fast hardcore. Again, in the vein of Touche Amore and Carpathian. This time a little more sing alongy and a little more bouncy. They were ok, though I'm not 100% sure I like them as a band. I'll have to give them another chance if they come back around again.

Hi's - BYOB, getting pretty wasted, 222, cooperative weather, This is Hell
Low's - 222 changing their layout and severely reducing visibility

2-7 Coheed and Cambria, Between the Buried and Me, Russian Circles, Pittsburgh @Stage AE

This was part 3 of the Christmas event package. Parking was not an issue because we were there plenty early. The Penguins playing downtown wasn't an issue for us either with the traffic. Stage AE was sold out for this show. I was flabbergasted by how long the line was that we had to wait in before we could even get to the door. It was about a 30 minute wait in line. It was longer than the line for This is Hardcore. Either way, it was my first trip to Stage AE. I don't usually go places that support American Eagle but I like this place. It's very big, and they don't segregate the 21 and over crowd from the non-legal drinkers. That was nice. And while beer was expensive, it's worse at Mr. Smalls and other places.

Russian Circles - Going into the show this was my favorite band on the bill. Despite Coheed's performance being the best, Russian Circles is still my favorite band of the three. I like the thing they have going on with the lights, and I really dig their bass lines. Most of their songs are real head nodders. I'll always go see this band.

Between the Buried and Me - I don't care for this band much on recordings and I don't care for them much live. What's the deal with the gay LED's behind the band? Those were super annoying. I didn't realize that BTBAM had so much singing. We spent the later half of this set outside smoking cigs by the fire. I wasn't feeling the rhythm or pretty much anything. Very disappointed.

Coheed and Cambria - This band is very good live. Every member is entertaining to watch and the vocals sound just as they do on the albums. Now, they played a lot of the new album, which I haven't heard yet. But even those songs were pretty good. I liked their set a lot. Though, I don't know why they would have to change guitars so much. Is was some rockstar shit that rubs me the wrong way. But the set was great, the performance was great, they didn't play the Suffering, but they did play Welcome Home. I'd go see Coheed again if the tix don't go up in price.

Highs - Russian Circles, Coheed and Cambria, everything going rather smoothly.
Lows - BTBAM, the prices on everything from the tix to the brew.

1-15 Outlast, Born Annoying, Host, Breach, Raging Planet, Pittsburgh @Roboto

Before this evening I had never seen any of the bands on the bill. I didn't get to any shows in December, so I need to start the new year strong, so I went to this show figuring that something would be alright about it. It was a bit chilly outside, under 40, but it was tolerable for walking from the car to the venue. Turnout was a bit on the weak side. I'd say that at the height of the show there were 50 people in the room including everyone in bands. That was during Host. So I'm going to say maybe 25 people paid to get in.

Raging Planet - First show for this Pittsburgh band. It was a decent set. They're fast and screamy. It bothers me when everyone in a band plays with their backs to the audience the entire time. Makes me feel like they give even less of a shit than I do. Regardless, for their first show it was OK.

Host - They were the best band of the night. Raging hardcore without the super heavy beatdowns, but still with plenty of mosh parts. They were pretty fast and the singer had all the energy. I'd like to see Host again. Their set became annoying when the one guitar player broke the neck on his guitar somehow. So they stopped until they found a new guitar. Then he decided that he can't play with that guitar because it will sound like shit. What's the fucking difference between one guitar and another? Would it really sound like shit so bad that you can't play in your hardcore band to Roboto? Regardless, he decided the band will play on with only one guitarist. It struck me as really a dick move. But I'd like to see them again anyway.

Born Annoying - I was the most excited to see this band before the show started, mostly because their name is pretty sweet. The lead singer struck me as a bit dopey. Nothing good to say. He looked annoying and uncomfortable. But I really liked the music. Fast punk with segments of thrash metal. The backup vocals were good too. I liked this band and will support in the future.

Breach - I can't stand looking at these assholes. The singer kept pulling his shirt down so his fat ass belly wouldn't hang out. Well if you're so self conscious about your fat ass belly hanging out, then wear a bigger shirt. But he wouldn't want to do that because his too small shirt is perfectly unfashionable in the way that people who claim to not care about fashion care more about fashion than anyone else in the room. So he got on my nerves right from the start. I hate his shoes. They're either leather or fake leather. But even fake leather promotes real leather so fuck you Breach. A bunch of dorks anyway. We watched the entire set and it was very bleh. Some songs were ok, but most of them kinda sucked. Was not into it.

Outlast - Never showed up because of van troubles.

HI's - Host and Born Annoying, the drink and the smoke
Low's - The locals, turnout.

1-10 Fireworks, Mace Ballard, Last Apollo, Shirts vs. Skins, Pittsburgh @Smiling Moose

We were extra late going to this show at the Smiling Moose. We missed the first two bands. But that's ok, Fireworks is the only band I cared about anyway. I was surprised by the turnout. I think there were a bit over 100 people there, somewhere around 110 would be my guess.

Shirts vs. Skins - Missed them and don't care.

Last Apollo - Missed them and don't care.

Mace Ballard - Consistently one of the worst bands to play shows and be around for a while. I don't think anyone really likes them. And if anyone does, they don't seem to come out to the shows. This band is soo poop. Not one single good song. The singer is annoying as fuck. Pompous. All 3 vocalists suck. Just bad all around. They played like 8 songs or something and it was all bad. One of my least favorite bands to see on a poppunk bill.

Fireworks - Was awesome. The singer sounds so good live. The best voice in poppunk in my opinion. They played about 10 or 11 songs. I was disappointed that my two favorite songs weren't played, that is Vonnegut and I Support Same Sex Marriage. But they played about 5 songs I did know and it's all good. I very much enjoyed the set. Energy was good. Stage dives, high fives. It was all together one of the better poppunk sets I've been witness to.

Hi's - Turnout, bb, Fireworks
Low's - Mace Ballard

11-10 Sincerity Fest, Pittsburgh @Springdale Fire Hall

Sincerity Fest is something that has been going on in the Pittsburgh area yearly for some time now. I always try to go if I can. This year was by far the best lineup I've ever seen for the fest. Some real bangers were on the lineup and I was stoked for the entire day.

However, we didn't make it there by noon. Sucks but we still made decent time getting there.

Breach - Missed them.
No Reason To Live - Missed them. I'd have liked to see them too.
Pray For Teeth - Missed them. I've seen them a handfull of times. Good band, but I'm not upset.
Adventures - Missed them. I really really like this band.
Steel City Firm - Missed them. They seem really heavy when I stream it and I'd like to see them live.

Liotta - This is the first band we saw. I was expecting them to be a hardcore band. But they're a semicrappy pop punk band in the style of Title Fight but a bit softer. I enjoyed them, I was ready for music. No violence. Not many real good songs. I don't think I'll go to any shows wanting to see them specifically. Some people there seemed to really enjoy the set.

Another Mistake - Good heavy band. I thought the singer was especially entertaining. I'm not sure if their lyrics are any good, but the beat was. The first mosh I was present for happened here. I'd go see this band again.

Pity Sex - More crappy poppunk. I didn't think this band was that good at all. Pretty similar to Liotta, but somehow not as good. Maybe I need to check out their recordings.

Wrong Answer - Very good band. They brought the tough hardcore and people got their mosh on. It was especially good. The last song was a true banger. In my opinion they were the third best band of the day.

Homewrecker - So they were supposed to play earlier in the day, and I was completely there in time just to see them. They were late. Then later. Then later. So we bounced for a little bit and inadvertently missed them. Sucks balls. I was more excited to see them than any other band other than Steel Nation.

We The Gathered - Missed them. I saw them on the Earth Crisis show and thought they weren't very good.

Complete Failure - Missed them. I've seen them a bunch of times and they're super heavy but not exactly a great live show. Not mad that I missed them.

Full Of Hell - Sweet band. By my recollection the fourth best of the day. They're not a beatdown band by any means. They're a breed of new hardcore like Heartless and Dead in the Dirt. Kinda spazzy, heavy, a lot faster. Good band.

Unit 731 - They brought the beatdown like they always bring the beatdown. The mosh was in high gear. A member of their band looked just like Chauder Man, which was funny. I enjoyed the set, I usually don't so much.

Hollow Earth - All I've ever heard about this band is that they're good. I agree. I suspect that their lyrics are political, which makes me like them even more. They were heavy, but not so catchy.

Steel Nation - Ripped it the fuck up. I very much enjoyed the set. They played a new song that sounded killer. They played most of their set from Forever Wounded. The mosh was on. Everything was kick ass across the board. The band of the night by far.

Trial - Excellent set. I was slightly disappointed because I was only half real into what the singer talked about during his rants. But I enjoy the rants none the less. Played a ton of good songs from the full length. Great band. I'm going to listen more to the entire full length.

Code Orange Kids - Missed them. I left before they played. It was a long day and I only moderately like the band. Not upset.

Hi's - Steel Nation, Trial, Wrong Answer, Full of Hell, GREAT veggie burgers and chili.
Low's - Not a whole lot at all. I guess the lack of a drinking venue is something but it would probably change the dynamic of the fest.